Communication devices are being developed to be quickly attachable to other devices while continuing to be portable with reduced dimensions and reduced weight. Therefore, manufacturers are designing every component of the mobile phone to have reduced dimension and weight. At the same time manufacturers must ensure that all the electrical connections are good to maintain the quality of signal transmission. The basic function of the mobile phone is to receive and transmit voice, and, more recently, images and the Internet. As is well known, the mobile phone has an audio connector which receives a connector for an earphone.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional audio jack connector in the prior art includes an insulative housing 5 and a plurality of terminals 7. The outer surface 50 of the insulative housing 5 is flat, and the terminals 7 are bent into different shapes, and received in the insulative housing 5. Each terminal 7 has a plurality of interfering tabs 70 to be fixed to the insulative housing 5. The insulative housing 5 forms projections 52 to limit the position of the terminal 7. The insulative housing 5 further defines a raised opening 51 for the insertion of a mating audio connector (not shown) thereinto to electrically engage with the terminals 7.
To prevent the terminals from contacting each other while still being able to engage the terminals of a mating connector and to be soldered to a printed circuit board, the terminals are bent into different shapes. A plurality of interfering tabs are provided on the terminals to ensure the terminals are firmly held in the housing. The projections 52 used to limit the movement of the terminals increases the dimensions of the insulative housing which increases the cost of manufacture.